


Is This a Date?

by unspokenfaith



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Or Sort Of, Peter Parker is a dork as usual, Post-Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Secret Relationship, just pure innocent romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-23
Updated: 2019-06-23
Packaged: 2020-05-18 08:31:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,735
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19330906
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unspokenfaith/pseuds/unspokenfaith
Summary: Peter finally asked MJ out on their first date, but before they’re even in the ticket line, Peter is acting weirder than usual, and MJ is beginning to think he doesn’t want anyone to know they’re at the movies together.





	Is This a Date?

**Author's Note:**

> I got really excited with all the talk about Far From Home exploring MJ's character more, so I wanted this piece to be from her point of view, because I'm a slut for vulnerable!MJ. 
> 
> This is just bare-bones fluff and awkward teen romance. 
> 
> Hope you like it!

Just because MJ was going on a date with Peter Parker didn’t mean she was going to put in any more effort into her appearance than she did any other day.

 

Before she left, she caught herself stopping by the bathroom and eyeing her mom’s curling wand sitting idly on the sink. What a mistake that would’ve been. After all, this was just a date. And it was just Peter. 

 

MJ debated whether she would even call it that. It’s not like they haven’t been to the movies together before. Sure, it was also with Ned and Betty, but what difference is there really? 

 

Peter did catch her off guard the other day when he posed the question. Not to mention the fact he could barely form a sentence and appeared unable to make full eye contact with her. Asking her to go see a movie, which has yet to be specified, after the bell rang and everyone left class seemed an odd time to ask someone out, even for Peter.

 

What a loser.

 

With the sun beating down, MJ was beginning to regret wearing a jacket, but even more so for insisting that Peter do not come and pick her up when she lived two minutes from the movie theater. It was only after she came home that she realized how illogical that was, and then the dumb, blank look on Peter’s face made more sense. 

 

While she waited by the door, she squinted up at the sky, figuring the odds that she would see a red-suited boy swinging from building to building seconds before Peter showed up were pretty likely. How long he planned on hiding that little secret when he hardly even tried in the first place was beyond her. 

 

Instead of a grand entrance worthy of the heroic Spider-man, he came up to her, sprinting, breathless,  _ Peter _ . 

 

“MJ,” he said, glancing in every other direction. “I’m-I’m late, aren’t I?” He was still trying to catch his breath.

 

“You’re not late, dork. I got here early.”

 

“Oh….” Peter met her skeptical gaze, as if just now realizing where he was. “Oh, great! What movie are we seeing? I guess we should’ve picked one before. I can see what they have,” he said, pulling out his phone. “Or...wait, we can just look inside.”

 

MJ stared at him. “What’s wrong with you? You’re acting weirder than usual.”

 

“Me? Weird?” he said, with that stupid, nervous laughter of his. “I’m not weird. Perfectly normal. Let’s go inside--or....you go first.”

 

Peter held open the door for her, and she resisted the urge to make a comment about old-fashioned generosity.  _ He’s just being nice _ . 

 

“Thanks,” MJ said.

 

She thought Peter would be right behind her by the time she got in the ticket line, but when she turned around instead she found a young couple holding hands, smiling at each other like no one else was around. MJ peered around them to see Peter still standing by the door.

 

When he met her gaze again, he stiffened. “Uh, MJ...do you, uh...you pick a movie. I’ll get the popcorn. If you want popcorn...do you want popcorn? No wait, I’ll switch with you.”

 

She rolled her eyes when he ducked under the line belt, taking his wallet out of his back pocket. There’s that generosity again. This time she wasn’t going to hold back.

 

“Please don’t tell me you’re one of  _ those _ guys.”

 

Peter looked up at her, panicked but no longer distracted. “One of what guys?” Before she could respond, he continued, “What movie do you want to watch?”

 

MJ rose an eyebrow. “Are you really trying to play it cool right now?”

 

“What-what do you mean?” 

 

“Relax, loser. I just figured you were eager to see Star Wars. What’s with you anyway?”

 

“Oh, right,” he said. “I was going to see it with N--I mean, I don’t want to make you go see that.” He waved his hand dismissively, and she squinted at him.

 

“Do you really not want to see it?” 

 

MJ tried not to read too much into what was happening, but she couldn’t shake the idea that Peter didn’t even want to be here, much less with her. She hated the stinging feeling that rose in her chest.

 

Peter must have taken note of the confusion on her face, because he quickly backtracked. “No, I just meant...if you want to see it, then let’s see it.” 

 

She smiled. “Great. I’m paying for the popcorn, though.”

 

Then he smiled too, and the stinging lifted off her like a weight, replaced with a light, fluttery sensation. She’d almost rather take the stinging.

Once they found their seats, MJ quickly realized they were seated behind the young couple she saw in line. The movie hadn’t even started and they were already all over each other, the girl’s head on the boy’s shoulder while they whispered and laughed about something only they knew. 

 

Suddenly she was aware of how dangerously close her arm was to Peter’s, so she tried to focus on whatever preview was playing.

 

“Do you want this?” Peter asked, holding out one of the tickets.

 

MJ blinked. “Why would I want it?” But as soon as she said it, she winced, turning away so he couldn’t see her face.

 

“Oh, I didn’t know if you...I collect them, so….” He seemed to give up, but she thought she heard him whisper “stupid” under his breath.

 

As the lights went down, a couple of last minute arrivals came in and seated themselves a few rows in front of them. For some reason, that seemed to set Peter off, because he was squirming like he was when they were out in the lobby. Still, she tried her best to ignore it, and removed her jacket.

 

“Aren’t you cold? It’s cold in here,” he said, taking off his own jacket, and in one swift motion, placed it around her shoulders and putting the hood up. 

 

She would have been flattered, even if it was a little cliche of him, were it not for the hood.

 

“Are you trying to hide me or something?” she joked.

 

“What? No!” And there was that nervous laughter again, which wasn’t exactly reassuring. Her heart sank as she fell into the chair, crossing her arms.

 

“MJ, I--that’s not what I….” She wondered how he of all people could keep a secret like his when he couldn’t even lie about something as simple as this. It wasn’t a big deal anyway. It’s just a date. Perhaps it was her fault for even assuming that’s what this was. 

 

“Here,” he said, retrieving his jacket and putting it back on. Still hood and all. 

 

“Okay, seriously, are you going to tell me what’s going on?”

 

“Nothing!” Peter said, causing a few heads to turn. He pulled the hood closer to his face and lowered his voice. “Nothing, I swear.”

 

MJ followed his wandering gaze to the couple who had just entered the theater, and leaned forward to get a better look. “Is that….”

 

“Is that who? I don’t see anyone.” Now Peter was sinking into his chair, hiding behind his legs.

 

“Ned!” she yelled, causing everyone around them to turn around and stare at her, but she didn’t care. “Betty?”

 

They both looked like a deer caught in headlights, and Peter pushed back his hood, defeated. 

 

“MJ?” Betty said.

 

“Peter?” Ned said, staring in disbelief as he rose from his seat. Peter laughed sheepishly, waving. 

 

The four of them were all standing now, much to the disturbance of the rest of the audience. MJ turned to Peter, who was already looking at her with pleading eyes. 

 

“MJ, I can explain…”

 

“Please do,” she said, crossing her arms.

 

“Wait...are you guys on a date?” Ned asked.

 

“Not now, Ned,” Peter sighed. “Can we go outside?”

 

“Why? The movie’s about to start,” MJ said, followed by a chorus of “shhh’s.”

 

“Wait...this means I was right!” Ned lifted his arms in triumph. “Yes!”

 

“Ned, shhh!” Betty grabbed his arm.

 

“Right? Right about what? What is going on?” Now MJ was looking between Peter and Ned. She should’ve known Ned was involved somehow. They can’t seem to do anything without each other. 

 

“I…..Ned and I, we….” Peter looked down at his feet. 

 

“You  _ what _ ?” She leaned forward.

 

In a sudden burst of courage, he took a breath then met her eyes. “Ned bet that we would go on a date by the end of the year, and I….I thought there was no way that was going to happen. I kind of forgot about it until I saw Ned earlier, and he wanted to go see Star Wars, but I told him I had spid--stuff to do, but he really wanted to see it so he invited Betty.”

 

“So this  _ is  _ a date!” Ned exclaimed. At this point, everyone in the audience seemed to have given up. Some even seemed interested.

 

“So  _ this _ ,” Betty said, gesturing between her and Ned,”  _ isn’t _ a date?”

 

“Betty, wait!” Ned yelled, following Betty out of the theater. Just as they got out of earshot, MJ heard him say, “Can we talk about this after the movie?”

 

“So...you went through all this trouble to keep our date a secret because of a bet with Ned? You must’ve bet on something interesting.”

 

“No! It wasn’t really a bet. I just…” He couldn’t seem to come up with a good enough excuse. “I’m sorry.” 

 

“It’s whatever. You could’ve just said that.”

 

“Yeah, I don’t know. I guess I was just embarrassed,” he said.

 

“Embarrassed about what?”

 

“That it took me this long to ask you out…”

 

MJ smirked. “You’re a loser.”

 

Peter grinned, and one brave soul stood up from their seat. “Can you two just kiss and shut up? The movie’s starting.”

 

They both stared at each other, and Peter, MJ observed, specifically at her mouth. He was so close to her, she felt like she couldn’t breathe, so she did the only thing she thought to do at that moment--she laughed.

 

“Nah, that’s too cheesy.” And she sat down, leaving Peter in the same spot, dumbfounded. 

 

But then he laughed too.

 

“Yeah, you’re right.” 

 

He folded his hands together when he sat down, biting his lip and avoiding her gaze. MJ just smiled.

 

“Don’t worry. There’s always the next date.”


End file.
